


Thalassa Bar

by briightmiinded



Category: Klaus (2019), Watch Dogs (Video Games)
Genre: M/M, Very fluffy, also important to know, and wrench dyes his hair crazy colors, betcha none of you all expected to see THESE two together, jesper likes wrench but doesn't wanna accept it yet, lettermask is what i call this crackship, today's flavor is strawberry blonde, wrench is 5'2 & jesper is 6'3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-23
Updated: 2020-07-23
Packaged: 2021-03-05 07:54:15
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,112
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25467325
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/briightmiinded/pseuds/briightmiinded
Summary: Wrench asked to meet him at Thalassa bar, but Jesper is cranky from waiting so long. He's sure the night's gonna go sour, but the night turns out VERY different than what he expected.Gift fic for my boyfriend who Also ships this wonderful crackship.
Relationships: Jesper Johanssen & Wrench, hints of lettermask
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Thalassa Bar

Between all the general chaos that ensues when around Wrench to his _annoyingly_ high energy, to even how Wrench seemed to pop up and cause trouble for him at any given turn ... Jesper is pretty damn sure he doesn't really _like_ Wrench. And that's what he's been telling himself for the past few weeks, too -- even when the hacker stuck in his side like a thorn, he's trying to keep his distance. Something about him is _off._ It's weird. _Wrench_ is weird. He's dirty and gross and always covered in oil, he doesn't care if he gets hurt, he's obsessed with explosions and robots, and he's annoying as hell. And yet... here he was, waiting outside of Thalassa Bar for him, the lights warm and inviting on an otherwise cold ass night. Few patrons are leaving or entering, but those that do can't help but sneak a peek at Jesper -- probably because he's _tall._ He just avoids their gaze, arms crossed as he leans against the side of the building, waiting for Wrench -- per Wrench's instructions. Jesper honestly doesn't know how he let himself get roped into a night out with the hacker, but he's beginning to regret it already if the shivers running down his spine and the ever-growing frown are anything to go by. The postman's already convinced that this dinner's gonna go sour, but he's gonna try his best to just get through it. Sooner he gets it over with, sooner he can get his _peace and quiet_ which he, quite frankly, deserves after having to deal with him. Is he being a little too cynical and salty about this? Yeah .. but so what? He doesn't exactly take _kindly_ to most other people, especially not those who pretty much _force_ him into friendships. Wrench was no exception.

SPEAKING of Wrench, WHY isn't he here yet?

Honestly, he's about to just give up and call it a day. Just as he pushes himself off the wall and he's ready to slink back to the warmth of his car and out of this yucky rain, here comes Wrench, all.... fancied up? Well, _sort_ of fancied up. He's not wearing his usual outfit! It's actually something much more revealing -- glitter spilled everywhere over his body, a spiked bikini set under a short pull-over jacket, a spiky choker, and some chunky thigh-high boots. Even under his umbrella, he can see that lots of skin on his delicate frame is exposed, so he's being treated to the sight of all of his tattoos. From what he _can_ see, they're just as crudely drawn as the ones on his arms, and Jes can't help but twist his face into something like displeasure. Honestly, he's kept waiting all this time, and then he shows up looking like he got out of a stripper bar? Jesus Christ, this guy's a mess. And yet there he stands, acting like it's normal, either ignoring or unaware of the weird gazes sent his way from those few out and about. Jesper wants to know _why_ he looks like ... _that._ But for now, he'll resist the urge to ask. It's Wrench, he should _expect_ inappropriate outfits like this from him. Instead, he chooses to cross his arms and give a hefty glare the shorter man's way.

"If I knew you'd keep me waiting so long, I wouldn't have come!" He tries to sound angry, irritated .. but it just comes out as exasperated. He's tired, he's cold, he's hungry, and as a result the gusto is gone from his tone. Wrench's mask blinks from the ever neutral **( X X )** to **( 6 6 )** , and then to something more shifty once he settles on what to reply with.

"Well, I was ... Doing. Stuff. **( > > )** I didn't mean to make ya wait, but you don't need to be a big baby about it." **( ¬ ¬ )**

"Wh--big baby?! I'm **not** a baby, you -- you're an hour late!" Jes jabs a finger in Wrench's general direction, hunkering over to be more on his level.

"I said I had shit to do! Get off my dick!" **( \ / )** Wrench angrily retorts, curling his small hands into fists.

"That doesn't mean you can just leave me out here to **freeze**!" Jesper bites back dramatically, throwing his hands in the air as his voice raises louder than he'd meant to. Perhaps his gaze is far angrier than he should have any right to be, but he always did get wound up so easy when it came to dealing with Wrench... "You should have had the **decency** to TEXT me! I mean, **c'mon,** man, it's just common sense!"

Wrench freezes up when Jes low-key snaps, the mask going black once Jesper had raised his voice and sounded even a _little_ angry. Slowwwly, the hacker crosses his arms and turns his face away from Jesper, and it's immediately clear something is ... _off._ Briefly, those sad slashes cross his mask, **( / \ )** but they're quickly replaced with another emoji. Wrench is giving him that **( 9 9 )** look, hands clasped behind his back once he takes a stiff step or two back. He rocks on his heels a little before replying, voice significantly calmer than before. Jes gets a small, sinking feeling of regret, reeling back and glare faltering. He's almost tempted to ask if he's okay, but he's cut off before Wrench continues.

"Look.. 'm sorry, okay?" **( ; ; )** He begins slowly, though once he'd spoken he could hardly hide his true expression. "But I _was_ doing some important stuff." **( / \ )** He motions to his entire body, outfit and all, before meeting Jesper's gaze again.

The postman's annoyed expression softens, eyebrows creasing in concern once it registers that Wrench is _trembling._ He's still pretty miffed about this whole thing, but it's hard to stay mad when that hacker's emanating some SERIOUS sad cat vibes. And he's not quite sure _why_ he's shaking, if he's gonna be honest, but .. he'll chalk it up to the outdoors being cold. However, Jes is at a loss of words. He still wants to be mad, but .. how could he? It'd be a waste of energy, plus ... Wrench genuinely hadn't _meant_ to leave him hanging from what he could tell. A huff escapes the blondes' lips, the air cold enough that you could almost see the breath in the air, and his gaze wanders to the side of the building. He just wants _food_ and a place to _sit,_ his legs are starting to ache ...

"Just, don't do that _next_ time. Okay, Wrench?" He glances back to the hacker, then to the diner's door. Quite frankly, Jesper doesn't wanna spend another second _longer_ out here than he has to. He props the door open, "Now can we **please** go inside and -- I dunno, _eat?_ I'm hungry. This place better have been **worth** the wait."

Wrench's mask shifts to that of surprise upon catching that Jesper said _next time_ , **( ! ! )** shock keeping him in place for a sec. Jesper impatiently waves a hand in front of his face to get his attention, even going as far as snapping -- which causes the hacker to shake his head and 'grin' up at Jesper. **( ^ ^ )**

"Oh, trust me, it SO is. **( > < ) **Wouldn't have invited you here if it wasn't **( 6 6 )** \-- I know how picky you can be." **( ~ ^ )**

"Picky? Hold on -- I'm **not** picky. My palette is just... _refined._ "

"Sounds like a stuck up way of saying you're picky if you ask me." **( 9 9 )**

"It is _not._ I just care about what I eat." Jes retorts crossly, adjusting his jacket as he steps in after Wrench. "Because I have a little thing called _taste._ Something _you_ clearly don't have!"

"Eeeh, that's debatable!" **( ^ ^ )** Wrench shrugs, sliding into one of the many red booths. Guess this will be their spot for the night now.

"Bold words coming from a man who eats _trash_ bagels." Jes pointed out, raising a challenging eyebrow with a hint of amusement. "Can you **really** blame me for not taking your word?"

"Hey! That was only one time, _twinkie._ " **( \ / )** Wrench says defensively, sending a glare his way.

But that's blatantly untrue. The postman is well aware it's been at least four times he's eaten a trash bagel. He just doesn't have the energy to argue about it right now. Jes sighs and observes the table, still standing when Wrench has already taken a seat and sank into the cushions. _At least the spot he chose was largely isolated away from everyone else,_ Jes marvels -- the rest of the patrons were more scattered 'round the restaurant. There's no menus or anything on the table, or even those napkin things -- which kind of irritates Jesper. At restaurants like these, aren't there always supposed to be napkins or condiments or .. _something?_ It seems like there was one everywhere else, and Wrench just _had_ to choose the table without one. He swipes just the container of napkins from another empty table to place at their table before taking a seat, waiting for a host or hostess to attend to them. Luckily for him, that doesn't really take too long. The waiter dips by with just a single menu, handing it over to Jesper, and merely gives a nod to Wrench. While they rattle off the usual shit a waiter does -- deals, the menu, saying to tell them when you're ready to order, drinks -- Jesper scans the menu, then asks for a cherry breezer and some gravadlax. Wrench **tiredly** says he wants the usual. The waiter nods their head, and then they're off to get the drinks and place orders. Wrench already starts chatting away about shit that went down earlier that day, and the postman IS initially listening, even conversing a little! Buuut just a few minutes into their conversation, right when the drinks are brought over to them, Jesper's _easily_ distracted by a notification that someone responded to his game of scrabble.

Immediately, he pulls it open, and anything Wrench is talking about goes in one ear and out the other. He offers little more than vague _uh-huh_ 's, _yeah, sure_ , _mmmh_ , and _ouh_ noises, trying to focus on his game more than what Wrench had to say -- sure, maybe it's a little rude, but Wrench just kept talking and talking and _talking,_ and god, Jesper wish he'd stop even for just a second. He sure has a motormouth once you get him going! He doesn't even notice that Wrench's speech is slowing down and slurring after just a few sips of alcohol, nor that he's nodding off like a sleepy toddler. By the time he tears his gaze from his phone to ask Wrench if he could be quiet for five seconds because he can't THINK straight with all this talking, he finds that the hacker is ... uh, what _IS_ he doing? He's totally motionless, mask black and body hunched over the seat, weight awkwardly swaying to and fro. Jesper's pretty alarmed at this -- was Wrench okay?? His phone is slid back into his pocket in preparation for checking on his acquaintance.

"Wrench?" Nothing. He tries again.

"Uh ... Hell- _oooo?_ Wrench? You uh -- are you good?" Again, no response, other than increased swaying. His palm splays on the table as he half stands up then leans across the table to give Wrench a little shake.

"Wrench--" Jes actually has a hint of **worry** in his voice, but he's cut off by the hacker suddenly falling to the side thanks to his shake.

He lets out a little surprised yelp, covering his mouth as Wrench lay unconscious on the other side of the booth. It's pretty clear that for right now, he's down for the count -- though the modulator crackles, he can tell Wrench's breaths are deep and slow, and he doesn't really know how to handle this. Jesper looks side to side, then kinda pushes himself up to where he's standing just a bit taller, peering even more over and around the booths. None of the people around seemed to have noticed, and even if they did, it's unlikely they're any bit concerned. And just his luck, too -- the waiter's back carrying their food. They place a basket of cheese breadsticks on Wrench's side of the table and Jesper's gravadlax on his side, and .. the postman is honestly **baffled** that the waiter is treating this so casually. Before they can walk away, Jes can't help but stop them in confusion.

"Is this .. what-- what do I ... even do?" His voice somewhat cracks, eyes scanning the waiter for any tips on what to do. Honestly, he's _hopelessly_ lost, but the waiter simply gives a glance down to Jesper.

"He does that sometimes." The waiter shrugs. "It happens. He'll be up sooner or later."

And then they're off again, attending to an elderly couple who've just walked in. Jesper stares in disbelief for a second or two before his gaze finally turns back to Wrench, watching him just... sleep. There are visible goosebumps all over Wrench's skin, his body twitching and shuddering every few seconds -- probably because he's cold. It _is_ kinda cool in here, _and_ he's wearing some pretty revealing clothes ... After a minute passes by, and Wrench shows no signs of waking up, Jesper sighs. He doesn't wanna _have_ to do this, but hey -- he's not a _total_ asshole, despite his attempts to come off as such. He wiggles out of his _considerably_ warm jacket, leaning across the table to drape it over Wrench's body. The jacket is pretty big on his smaller frame, enough so that it works more like a _blanket_ than anything. As a result, his body curls into the new source of warmth, balling up in the booth in what Jesper _knows_ can't be a comfortable position, but he doesn't care enough to help Wrench correct it. Finally, Jesper plops back down in his seat with a groan. So the hacker made him wait to eat dinner all this time only to pass out once he sat in a booth? That was just bad company! And as much as the blonde _wants_ to up and leave Wrench in the booth, he knows deep down he wouldn't just _leave_ someone like this. Especially not to Wrench who, as far as he knew, barely ever slept. So .. he'll just suck it up, and play some Candy Crush.

He tells himself he'll only stay for an hour _tops_ as the loading screen pops up, poking here and there at the food on his plate and taking more sips of his cherry breezer. Just as he goes to pull out his phone again, Wrench shifts in his booth and one foot comes up to prop itself on the table, dangerously close to the cheesy breadsticks and knocking over his beer. Jesper **jumps** when the foot thunks down, and it doesn't immediately register that the beer is quickly moving his way. When it does, though, and only after it gets dangerously close to Jesper's side of the table, the postman makes quick work of soaking the puddle of alcohol up with the napkins. His nose crinkles from the smell of it because it smells like cheap alcohol ... at least he's soaked it up pretty well. He's sure to dispose of the soggy napkins when all is said and done, but the smell still lingers.

_"Blegh,"_ Jes mutters, finally pulling out his phone, noting that it was eight P.M. Just one hour, and if he's not awake by then, he's gonna bounce. Thumbing over to the Candy Crush app, he slouches back in his side of the booth, hair smooshed against the booth's headboard and slightly roughing it up.

This is gonna be a long, **boring** hour.

* * *

Some time later, Wrench finally stirs. Jesper somehow **doesn't** notice the hacker sitting up slowly, mask flickering though all kinds of emoticons as he struggled to sit up. His hood slid off to reveal a shock of strawberry-blonde hair, messy and knotted from all the moving around he'd done -- it was only half in a ponytail now. Tiredly, he's hoisted himself up against the wall on the inside of the booth, mask only displaying as he rests his eyes just a little more. And after a solid five minutes of sitting quietly, just trying to wake himself up, he realizes two things. One, that Jesper's still here. Two, that something is keeping him _warm._ It takes a second more to register because he's still _really_ out of it, but .. Jesper's jacket is draped around him! It's extremely unexpected, and enough to cause his grip on the fabric to tighten and pull closer, huddling in on himself. An expression of surprise crosses his mask, **( ! ! )** but he otherwise doesn't really vocalize anything, choosing to sit there and radiate happy energy. **( ^ ^ )**

When it occurs to him that the postman isn't AWARE he's awake, he starts gently kicking at Jesper's legs. **( 0 0 )** **( > < ) **Jesper's annoyed and too deep in focusing on his game to realize that Wrench is trying to get his attention and kicks back a little harder than Wrench. Naturally, that got the hacker irritated, causing him to rear up his leg and deliver a swift, hard **THWACK** to Jesper's shin! It's painful enough to garner a yelp from the blonde, whose phone _drops_ on the table in his surprise.

"OW -- WRENCH! What the HELL?!" He cries out, curling his hurt leg up the best he can in the booth's seat Kinda hard to do when you're so damn _lanky_ and tall, though. "What was that even FOR?"

"You weren't paying attention to me!" **( * * )**

"You could have just said my **name** , you know! Didn't need to _kick_ me!"

"You kicked me first, dude! **( > > )**`` You kick me, I kick you!" **( \ / )**

"Wrench, I swear to _god_ \--" Jesper pinches the bridge of his nose in frustration with one hand, the other supporting his elbow, and lets out a **frustrated** sigh. There he goes, being a handful again despite _just_ having woken up. How does he manage to be such a terror all the time? After a solid second or two of holding the pose, the hand on his face plopped with an _attitude_ down to the table, slapping it as it landed. His gaze was unamused as he observed Wrench, with the hacker simply staring at him quietly. His eyes wander down to his phone, where the Candy Crush screen timer had gone off. Juuust great, he'd failed the level. Exiting the game with a miffed expression, he noticed the time on his clock now read -- _ten P.M.?_ But he could have _sworn_ it'd only been an hour!

".. I should have left like an _hour_ ago." He mumbles, turning off his the phone and setting it face-down. His head tilted to the side, cheek resting on his hand and smushing his face.

"Yeah, I'm surprised you're still here." **( 9 9 )** He chirps, stretching his arms. **( @ @ )** **( X X )** "Most people would have just left me the second I fell asleep." **( 6 6 )**

_That_ caught Jesper off guard. He hadn't meant for Wrench to hear that, first of all, but .. was he being serious? Something about the way Wrench said that so _casually_ made his stomach drop, eyebrows knitted together in worry. All he could muster was a weak _"Huh?"_ that was, ultimately, ignored by the hacker.

"How long was I out...?" **( ? ? )**

"Uh .. Well, around two hours. It was eight when you fell asleep. Now it's ten."

"Damn, that's some dedication." **( 0 0 )**

"I wouldn't call it _dedication_ so much as I'd say ... an **accident** , but sure. Let's go with that."

"Oh .. well, still.. not many people would do that for someone like me. Not even my friends." **( . . )**

"Then _you_ need to find some better friends," Jesper cocks an eyebrow, mindlessly poking at the cold food on his plate. Wrench is pretty surprised by the statement, eyes wide as he processes what Jesper just said. **(`▮ ▮` )** Without missing a beat, he replies by waving Jesper off.

"Nah. Nobody else could stand me! I'm pretty annoying, so I'm lucky to have who I do." **( X X )** A pause, and then his voice considerably softens, posture hunkering over as he looks up to Jesper. "I ... really appreciate it though. That was really nice of you. **( 9 9 )** Thanks, dude." **( ^ ^ )**

Something about the way Wrench said his thanks struck a chord with the blonde. He was _legitimately_ thankful? Even though he admitted he only stayed on _accident?_ Jesper can't help but be surprised, cheeks flushing and eyes widening. It's times like these he finds himself wishing he wasn't so goddamned _pale,_ because the pink hue of his cheeks is a _stark_ contrast to the rest of his pale skin. Any anger or bitterness he'd had about the whole night dissipated on the spot. "Yeeeah.. no problem." He mumbles, avoiding Wrench's gaze. Why does he feel a little fuzzy all of a sudden? He's chalking it up to the surprise for being appreciated, but part of him knows something more's going on here. He just doesn't know what.

"...So," Wrench continues, "why DIDN'T you wake me up or leave?" **( ? ? )**

"I was playing Candy Crush," he admitted sheepishly. "But I'd also feel bad leaving you here alone. And you kind of have my jacket."

"Hm. How quaint. It appears I do." **(** **¬ ¬ )** Wrench replies in a funny little voice as his gaze shifted away from Jesper, his grip tightening on the jacket on his shoulders. He doesn't wanna give it up so _easily,_ and he's making that pretty clear. Jesper, however, is freezing his skinny ass off as he drums his fingers on the table and stares at Wrench expectantly. And that's just what it is -- a staredown. Wrench isn't making _any_ move to give Jesper back his coat. Does he not get that Jesper obviously wants it back? Jesper clicks his tongue to fill the awkward silence, and finally, he speaks -- but Wrench speaks at the same time, too.

"Anyways, there was this chick at the bar who --" "-- Can you PLEASE give my coat back already?"

"Huh?" -- "What?" **( ? ? )**

"You first."

".. Uh, no, it wasn't that important. **(** *** * )** **(** **¬ ¬ )** What were you saying?" **( ? ? )**

".. I said, can you please give me my coat back? I'm **cold**."

"Oh! Hmm.. Lemme think about it." **(** **v 0 )** Wrench tilts his head to the side, bringing a pondering hand up to his chin. After a short hum, he replies, ".. Nope!" **(** **~ ^ )**

Jesper audibly whines. "Wh--!! But you've had it for _two_ hours!"

"Yeah, and giving it to me was your mistake!" **(** ** > < )**

"Hey! I didn't give it to you, I let you borrow it! Y-you looked cold!"

"Well I _am_ cold twenty-four-seven, **( @ @ )** today's no exception!" **( > < )** Wrench grins, his grip on the jacket never slacking. Jesper pouts and puffs out his lip, busting out a move an old friend taught him ... _the Plead._ It's always been useful in getting what he wants before, and now should be no exception. In fact, it's _more_ than enough to surprise Wrench, causing the shorter man to freeze up once more. Only this time .. it was more because he was _flustered._ **(** **`▮ ▮` ) **God damn, Jesper _really_ perfected that look, and he can _tell_ Wrench is caving because his grip is finally slacking from the fabric.

"I ... uh, have an idea." **( . . )**

"Is it giving me back my jacket? Because that'd be **lovely** ," Jes remarks, still pouty as ever. He's _really_ hoping the hacker will give.

"No," **( \ / )** Wrench replies, annoyed. "It's something... **(** **¬ ¬ )** Mmm better." **( X X )**

"Really don't know what could be better than giving my jacket back," Jesper leans against the booth, brows furrowed. Is Wrench really trying to play these games _now?_ Well, apparently so, because next thing Jes knows, the hacker is sliding himself under the table. The postman can't help but yelp in surprise as Wrench brushes by his leg, pulling his legs up as an instinct. Too bad his limbs are still fucking long as hell, because they BANG the table again, and he lets loose another yelp. He's almost tempted to yell out a choice cussword in frustration, but before he can he feels a weight plopping against him. Startled, his gaze snaps downward to focus on Wrench, eyes wide and searching for an answer. What the hell did he think he was doing? When his nerves settle, he finds it in him to ask that very question, corners of his mouth tugging downward in a frown.

"Um ... Wrench?"

"Yeees?" **( ^ ^ )**

"What are you doing...?"

"My idea! **( > < )** Was that not obvious ...?" **( 0 0 )**

"What's **obvious?** I don't even know what your _idea_ is!"

"Oh, well ... **( 6 6 )** I just thought I could keep you warm instead!" **( 9 9 )**

"Instead of what? Giving my coat back?"

"Yup!" **( ^ ^ )** How Wrench could just be so _casual_ about that idea is beyond Jes, but it's enough to warrant a look of great displeasure from the blonde. Hasn't he made it obvious he's still **REALLY** weirded out by Wrench and would much rather be alone? Aside from the funny fluttery feeling bubbling up in his chest when he reflects on his thankfulness, Jesper can't recall thinking of Wrench with anything more than disdain and discomfort. So why, then, is he suddenly so flustered? He's having trouble processing this information when he feels a weight on his arm, jolting as he peers down. Wrench seems to be rather comfortable, leaning against him happily **( ^ ^ )** ... UNTIL Jesper shoved him off to the side. **( ! ! )** His mask clearly showed that he was shocked, but that cycled to sadness as Jesper tried his damndest to glare at him. That glare soon melted, though, when Wrench just gave him the _look._ Sure, it was hidden by the mask, but the emoticons _and_ the energy he was radiating was _really_ getting to Jesper.

"Stop that," he says after a few seconds, crossing his arms and refusing to look Wrench's way. Wrench's mask flashes question marks in confusion, tilting his head to the side.

"Huh?" **( ? ? )**

"The sad look. Stop it." Jesper turns his head to motion at the hacker's mask, only to see the sad expression is gone. Tension in his shoulders dissipates and he relaxes for a sec... that is, until Wrench speaks _again._

"Ooohh.. You mean... _this_ one?" **( / \ )**

"Uh, _duh_ that one! Stop it! You -- You can't -- that's--" He's trying to find the right words to express his surprse, but they're failing him! He's just growing increasingly distressed as he stutters, face growing redder, because the plead energy s only getting _stronger,_ and it's throwing off his concentration something fierce. What the hell? Finally, after a solid minute of trying and failing to find the right words, he crosses his arms and leans back.

"... Is it really _that_ difficult to just give me my coat back..?"

"If I said yes, would you let me lean on you?" **( / \ )**

"Hrhgh.."

"I'll take that as a yes!" **( ^ ^ )**

Jesper's hands come up to cover his hot face, trying to hide how flushed Wrench managed to make him from a stare alone, and he felt a new, heavy warmth on his side. Wrench had just plopped himself against the blonde, cozying on up to him with pure energy. It's not really _so_ bad, and Jesper knows that -- he .. just really hated to admit it to himself, honestly. He doesn't wanna _like_ or be _flustered_ by Wrench, but it looks like the hacker's wormed his way into his heart anyways... As he was preoccupied with being flustered, Wrench began to pick at his food. Food that Jesper hadn't even gotten a chance to eat yet -- which doesn't exactly click with the postman at first. Not til he feels Wrench's weight shift, causing his eyes to trail down to his plate. One piece of his gravadlax is gone, and Wrench's mask is not so conspicuously dropping closed. And he's _totally_ trying not to look guilty, **( 0 0 )** but Jes is ticked! He's gonna have to pay for that!

"Hey!" Jesper weakly protests, his danish accent slipping through pretty strongly. That's enough to surprise Wrench, who stares up at him with an owlish expression. **( 0 0 )** "Th-that's my food! Stop eating it!"

".. Pbfbt." **( > < ) ** Wrench's quiet giggles are surpressed as much as they can be, but Jes can feel his body shake against his side. He's being _laughed_ at? What the hell!

"What? What're you -- what's so funny?"

"Oh, _nothing._ " **( v 0 )** He tries to hide that he's giggling, but fails at it. "You're just ... cute." **( ^ ^ )**

He pops another piece of food under the mask, carefully lifting it forward so Jesper couldn't really see the face underneath. That only served to frustrate and fluster Jesper more --so, balling his fists, he gave Wrench a little elbow to the chest. He's only a little concerned when, instead of soft flesh, his elbow hit thin skin and hard _bone..._ Too bad he didn't have long to reflect on that, though -- When he opened his mouth to bitch at Wrench again, the hacker took a piece of salmon on his fork and popped it right into his mouth. Instead of stopping as Jes asked him too, though, he grabs the fork and twists to where he's half saddling Jesper's lap!

"Heeeere comes the airplane! Choo choooo!" **( ^ ^ )**

"Wrench, that's not even how it _goes_ \--"

"Shuddup! Do you want the fucking food or not?" **( \ / )**

Jesper opened his mouth to retort, but was quickly shut by Wrench going "Ahhhh~" and popping the salmon into his mouth. Jesper was surprised, and -- because it was cold -- his face kind of contorted into disgust, confusion, blankness, and then .. acceptance. It's like he went through the full cycle of grief within ten seconds, and Wrench's giggles only grow in volume. Jesper almost feels _humiliated_ by the hacker's clownery, but he can't deny it -- the food does, as Wrench so eloquently put it, ' _kick ass_ '. Much moreso than he was expecting it to, anyways -- and even though it was cold, too! Slowly, he chews on it, savoring the salty tang to it while his gaze refuses to meet Wrench's, and he swallows. He's about to comment that it's good, but that he can feed himself -- but he looks back to see _another_ two pieces missing. The hacker probably ate the first one, he assumed, because the other was on the fork and hovering inches from his face.

"Wrench .. I can feed myself." He kind of gently smacks Wrench's hand away, flustered, but not hard enough that it'd hurt or knock the food off. His hand comes up to grasp it for himself, but Wrench yanks his hand back faster than he'd ever seen. He's unreadable with that black mask.. til he pipes up again.

"Where's the fun in THAT?" **( \ / )** He sasses, sounding pretty annoyed. It's jarring, and enough to surprise Jesper, but the next second he's all sunshine and smiles again.

"Cmahn, open up! It's time for the choo choo train!! Vrooooosh!!!" **( > < ) **

Is he _really_ making airplane noises at Jes like he's some sort of _baby_ ... ? Yes, yes he is. Okay, that's annoying as fuck, and really demeaning too. But by now, Jesper's too tired to keep questioning Wrench on everything. Feels like it'll be best if he just plays along for now. Face red and arms crossed as if he's pouting, he continues to eat that way until Wrench emptied the plate. Even though he didn't really get a full dinner, because Wrench stole _half_ of it, it was good.. And you know what? Jesper honestly wouldn't have minded Wrench feeding him -- actually, he kind of enjoyed it -- but were it not for the baby talk, he'd have enjoyed it a lot _more._ At least Wrench offers him some of his breadsticks, exclaiming that they taste amazing. However, they're stopped by one teensy little problem -- before Jes can bite into one, they're told by the same waiter from earlier that they need to leave. Apparently they've overstayed closing time by about an _hour,_ and these workers really needed to close up -- understandable that they'd shoo them out, but it still kinda sucks.. Jesper sulks at this revelation, because he doesn't even feel like enjoyed most of his time here, but the waiter shrugs. Nothing much they can do about this situation, he supposes, and goes to fish out his card. A hand comes up to his and gently pulls it down, though -- Wrench shakes his head, and hands the waiter _his_ card. The mailman wants to protest because he's a big boy and he can pay for his _own_ meal -- he's not _that_ poor -- but then the LED on his mask winks with his reassurances that it's fine, and Jesper shuts up. Something about it brought color to his cheeks, and he .. doesn't quite get why.

Grumbling, he puts the card back into his wallet while Wrench pays and puts the breadsticks into the to-go box, and he slides out of the booth. It's not long before the hacker is following suit -- stretching and letting out some rather _questionable_ and _innapropriate_ noises and moans as he does. That alone is enough to get a monkey-puppet-esque stare from the blonde, but Wrench just goes on like he **hadn't** just made the loudest sexual noises Jesper has ~~_probably_~~ ever heard. From _stretching._

"What?" **( X X )** He blinks, expression completely neutral. He clutches the jacket closer to him, tilting his head to the side in curiosity.

".. I, uhm..." The blonde mumbles after a second, completely at a loss for words. He's just... gonna pretend like that never happened. Yup. Okay, it's gone. ".. _wwwaaaant_ my coat back."

He reaches over and plucks it off Wrench's shoulders _despite_ the little cry of _hey!_ when it's lifted. Sure, Wrench didn't _need_ it anymore, but that doesn't mean he doesn't _want_ it anymore! He takes a second to pout, **( / \ )** but it's not long before he turns his attention to the rain once one plops right on his hair. `¬ ¬` The rain is coming down harder than ever now, _much_ moreso than earlier when they'd arrived. Wrench procures the umbrella from earlier in his grasp, looks around, **( 6 6 )** **( 9 9 )** and then ... takes a step forward.

"Well shit, I guess I'm walking home in the rain." **( 0 0 )** He comments, holding out his hand as the umbrella fluffs out. Raindrops fall down his hand, and Jesper _would_ have happily let him walk home and get back to his car, buut ...

"Dressed like _that?_ " He finds himself blurting, sounding incredulous. The shorter man whips his head around to face Jesper, clearly confused. **( ? ? )**

"Well.. _yeah,_ what else would I wear? **( < < ) ** I'd say your jacket but you fuckin' took that from me, sooo..." **( * * )**

"Uh, _ja,_ it's _my_ jacket!"

"Po-tay-to, to-mah-to." **( # # )** He waves him off, trying to walk forward. Surprising even himself, however, Jesper reaches out and places a hand on Wrench's shoulder to hold him back. Wrench can't help but blurt out a, "What the _fuck_ \-- ?" **( ! ! )**

"No, it's .. you could get wet! Or **sick.** "

"Jesper. Dude. Look at my outfit. **( - - )** Do I _look_ like I'd give a shit about getting wet? Plus, like, my face is covered, so I should be juust fine. I think." **( X X )**

"Well.. I mean -"

"No. No I do _not._ " **( ¬ ¬ )** He flips his strawberry-blonde hair with sass, taking a couple steps forward. "Good _bye_ , Jesper." **( ~ ^ )** And there he goes, skinny frame sauntering off. Jesper just stares in disbelief. He doesn't want to protest, but there is something else he wants to say.

"But you -- y-you paid for my dinner!"

If Wrench wants to go home and not annoy Jesper, by all means, the postman is pretty sure he should be _elated_ as he used to.

"So?" **( ? ? )**

But instead, he just feels ... _wrong._

"Let me help!"

Why wasn't Wrench _staying_ for once?

"Jes, I don't have time for this. I have work to get to." **( * * )**

"But-!"

He realizes he _doesn't_ want Wrench to go, not yet..

"Look, I don't have _time_ for this bullshit! **( \ / )** I'm freezing my fucking _ass_ off and the sooner **you** stop talking, the sooner I can get outta this _fuckass_ rain -"

_Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it, don't say. it--_

".. Let me drive you home!"

_God dammit._

Wrench freezes in his tracks, his mask completely going black. Turning around to face Jesper, the mask staying black for a solid few seconds as he tries to process what Jesper said. The air between them is tense, Jesper clutching the jacket to his chest as he stands under the awning, grip so tight his knuckles were white. Oh god, oh fuck, _why_ did he say that --

"You... mean it?" **( ? ? )** Wrench sounds just as incredulous as Jesper _feels_ , rooted in his spot. Unfortunately, Jesper was never really one to go back on his word. So, he couldn't back out of this even if he _wanted_ to. Gulping, the blonde slowly nodded.

"Y -- yeah, it's ... Yeah. Ahem. Yes."

There was nothing but the sound of rain and the pitter patter on the ground, the fatter drips from the awning plopping onto Jesper because he'd stepped forward without even _realizing_ it ( and yes, the jacket is still in his hands ). Wrench slowly walks his way, no more words spoken between them, and leaving Jesper on edge -- chunky heels clacking on the pavement quietly. As he nears, he can hear the distinct sound of rain pelting the umbrella, but his gaze falls so he's focusing on the ground. And just a few steps before he closes the sizeable gap between he and Jesper, he'd stood on an _edge_ of a pothole in the parkinglot. Down goes Wrench, and without a second thought, Jesper lunges forward to catch him. His coat is all but forgotten as it falls to the ground as he lunges forward to _catch_ the hacker. Now he's getting totally pelted with the rain as his arms stretch outward, only _praying_ he'll be able to catch him.

Nevermind that he's gonna get drenched-- all that matters right now is that he catches his _acquaintance_ in his arms. Wrench yelled a loud obscenity as he fell, totally bracing himself to hit concrete, only to be met with .. the soft fabric of Jesper's shirt, large hands gripped around his arms and back to sturdy him as his legs kind of fall limp behind him. The world really had felt like it slowed for a moment as Wrench stayed in that position, with Jesper staring down in total surprise, feeling adrenaline rush through his veins. Slowly, time began to tick again. Wrench stopped tensing in on himself bit by bit until eventually, he directed his gaze upward to Jesper's face. He was understandably _confused_ and _surprised,_ and it wasn't long before the **( ? ? )** blinked into `▮ ▮`.

"You're uh .... y-you're holding me." **( 0 0 )**

"... Mmmhmm." The inflection in his hum was a little higher pitched than he'd _meant_ it to be.

"What about your jacket? Wasn't that shit gucci? ... Won't the rain _ruin_ it?" **( ? ? )**

His gaze slowly drifts to the jacket on the ground, soaked in a puddle and the umbrella not too far from it. The breadsticks box was inbetween them, and he was _kind_ of crushing them, but hey -- at least the container salvaged _that._ Plus, both he _and_ the hacker were getting wet from the downpour, but somehow, Jesper couldn't really find it in him to care. Wrench was okay, and that's all that matters.

".. It's not." He averts his gaze from the objects, focusing instead on his masked acquaintance. "It'll be fine, it's just rain."

Jesper helps Wrench stand upward, his large hand splaying on the small of the hacker's back to help him stay steady. Their touch lingers -- perhaps a little longer than it should have, and neither makes a move to let go. That is, _until_ a hard shiver jolts through Wrench's body and he lets out an involuntary noise as a result. Jesper's hands slip out of his and he bends down to retrieve his coat _and_ the umbrella, handing over Wrench's accessory so he can focus on wringing his coat out. Brows furrowed as he tries to get ever little bit of water he _can_ out, he's surprised when he feels the cool metal of the umbrella rest against his shirt.

"Take it." **( . . )** The hacker says, clutching the crushed box of breadsticks close to him with his other hand. 

"Thank you." Cautiously, Jes gripped the handle, fingers brushing over Wrench's as he pulled it close.

Small hands find themselves wrapping 'round Jesper's arms as they walked forward, towards the car. Jesper's free hand rested on Wrench mid-back as they moved, taking care to avoid any other potholes so the high-heeled hacker wouldn't fall again. In a matter of minutes, they were at his car. Jesper, being the well mannered man he is, opened the door for Wrench out of courtesy before sliding into his own seat. He struggled with getting that damn umbrella to close for a good minute or so, finally managing to wrestle it closed. About damn time, too, because his door was getting _really_ wet! He slid his seatbelt on, turned up the heat, and shifted the car's gears. He was ready to leave; there was just one problem though. Wrench didn't have his seatbelt on. "Wrench," Jesper nudged him, stopping him from batting at one of those hanging air fresheners he had around the mirror. "Wrench, stop that. Put your seatbelt on."

"What? Do I _have_ to?" **( * * )**

"Yes."

"Or what?" **( ? ? )**

"Put it on, or I'll... _Uh_... Just -- put it on!"

"I will, geeez.." **( @ @ )** He clicks his seatbelt on, sliding the wet to-go bread box inbetween them.

" _Thank_ you." Jesper huffs lightly, then pulls out his phone.

"Okay, put in directions to your place. I dunno where you live."

"Oh, but I live fairly close to you! I can just tell you once we get near Gary's Games & Glory." **( X X )**

"That **nerdy** game shop? Really? I don't live near there."

"Hey, that game shop is _fine,_ and the guys there are pretty cool. And you're closer than you think you are." **( - - )**

"Mm. Alright, Wrench." And that was, surprisingly, the end of that. Jesper pulled out of the parking lot, and they went on their merry way. They had about a thirty minute drive ahead of them, and Jesper has to get up early for work -- it's for the best that they don't waste _any_ more time.

* * *

The postman can't really say he was prepared for the oddly silent ride home, though. Wrench was usually more talkative than this, and the ride had started much more noisy -- yet within a matter of seconds, it seemed like Wrench was already passed out again. He must be pretty tired if he's not chattering away about relatively pointless shit. Jesper was thankful for the silence, because it made focusing on driving way easier, but at the same time .. it felt a little empty. He just wishes Wrench had been a little more lively like he usually is, talkative and doing those stupid silly voices of his. But the silence is nice, too. At a stop light, he glances over to Wrench and to his surprise, there are little _Z_ marks on his mask as he sleeps. Hey, that's kinda clever! Lets people know when he's sleeping if he's got that thing on, of course, but still figures that CAN'T be that comfortable.. It brings a smile to his face nonetheless as they drive on. Thirty nine minutes later, they're at Gregs Games & Glory. Maybe Jesper took a little longer than he needed to, but you could never be too careful driving in the rain, _and_ at night! He pulls to a stop in front of the building, hand reaching over to wake up Wrench -- but once it touches his shoulder, it just kind of stays there. Wrench is no stranger to sleeping in cars if it comes down to needing a place to rest -- and Jes would know, he's done that with Jesper and his mail truck several times before. And part of him thinks it'd be _worse_ if he let Wrench go here. He doesn't think his garage -- where he's _sure_ Wrench would want him to drop him off at -- would be a suitable place to sleep anyways, so ... after a good few minutes of debating, the car shifts into motion again. Wrench shows no indication of waking up. Now, Jesper _is_ surprised when Wrench starts to talk -- but clearly, it's _sleeptalking._

It's amusing, really -- even if Jesper can't really make out what he's saying because it's basically gibberish. An additional ten minutes later and they're at Jesper's place -- surprisingly, Wrench was _right_ when he said he wasn't really far. Huh. Maybe that's why Wrench can get into his car so easily. He makes a mental note about that, and pulls into the parking lot. It's still raining, and it's considerably quiet -- for San Francisco's standards, anyways. He grabs the umbrella and breadsticks and slides out of the car, fumbling for his keys. The plan is to take the small stuff in first and then focus on getting Wrench up to the apartment, and that's just what he does. Shuffling up to his apartment door, he unlocks the apartment -- of course, he places the umbrella by the door and the breadsticks in the microwave before heading back. He leaves the door wide open as he descends back to ground level and goes over to Wrench's side of the car -- leaning over to unbuckle him and waking him up. He _is_ getting a bit wet, but he finds he doesn't mind it.

"Hey.. Wrench. Wake up." He gently shakes Wrench. The hacker perks up slowly, groggy as all hell, mask flashing through all sorts of expressions before landing on one **.**

"Hhhuh.. what?" **( @ @ )**

"C'mon, let's go inside. Do you need help?"

"Mmuh.. Yeah, probably." **( = = )** He slurs his words as he speaks, rubbing at the LCD of his mask as if he were rubbing at his actual eyes. He slides out of the seat and Jesper helps him out of the car, but he notices pretty quickly that Wrench isn't the most steady. Probably due to those heels he's wearing, coupled with either being _sleepy,_ _smashed,_ or _both._ Jesper doesn't know which is the exact reason, but he doesn't exactly care to find out either. Closing the door behind the hacker, he pulls him closer to his side and returns to a pose similar to the one he'd guided Wrench with earlier towards the stairs.

"Careful not to fall. The steps are kinda slick." Jes warns, and Wrench just mutters something unintelligble in response.

The two go up the stairs at a pretty slow pace because of Wrench's high heels, but they _do_ make it up to the apartment after climbing two floors. Jesper wastes no time in guiding Wrench to the couch and letting him get all comfortable there. Once he's settled in nicely and he strips out of his wet hoodie and his heels -- which, for the record, left him in a _very_ revealing bikini that Jesper tried to avert his gaze from -- Jesper goes hunting for a spare blanket. He manages to procure an old fluffy throw in his bedroom closet and a pillow from his bed, bringing them to Wrench. But by the time he returns to the hacker, he finds that his mask is off and his face is buried into the corner of the couch, his hair down and hiding his skin. Jesper's a _tad_ disappointed that he can't see anything of his face, but he's not about to break Wrench's trust and take a peek.

Instead, he throws the blanket over him and wedges the pillow under his head the best he can. He just leaves everything where it is, and heads off to get ready for bed himself. He pauses once he's at the edge of the hall, peering back to make sure that Wrench is still cozy and wrapped up in the blanket, and to his relief.. he _is._ He's just a little more cocooned, from what he can tell, and a small smile comes to his lips. Turning off the hall light, he shuffles back to his bedroom. He does his nightly routine -- brushing teeth, checking social media, tidying up, all that jazz -- and that alone takes a good ten or twenty minutes. Finally, however, he finds himself changing into some clean PJ bottoms ( no, he did _not_ sleep with a shirt on ) and ready to sleep. He crawls into bed after he turns off the light, head nuzzling into the pillow and trying to get a comfortable pose. He finds it after another few minutes of tossing and turning, and once he does, he lets out a content sigh. And as he lay there in bed, drifting off to sleep, a single thought echoed through his mind.

_Maybe Wrench isn't as bad as I thought._


End file.
